Safeguard for banks



Dec- 1,192.5 1,563,921

- J. 5. PLUMMER SAFEGUARD FOR BANKS Filed Jan. 9. 1923 2 Sheets-Shut 1 Dec. 1,1925- 1,563,921

v J. 5. PLUMMER SAFEGUARD FOR BANKS Filed Jan. 9, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. PLUMMEE, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

SAFEGUARD FOR BANKS.

Application filed. January 9, 1923. Serial No. 611,674.

1 0 all IF/71.01)), it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. PLUMMnn, a citizen of the United States, residing in Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and us fill Improvements in Safeguards for Banks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in safeguarding devices for banks, and like places where money and other valuables are handled more or less publicly.

The main object of the invention is to provide practicable means which can be used effectively to forestall and prevent hold-up robberies of a bank, and also which can be utilized to effect capture of the robber when a hold-up is attempted.

To this end my invention comprises a mechanically operable guard for a window, as the cashiers window of a bank, or for all windows of the bank where a hold-up might be attempted, and means inside each window provided with a guard whereby the attendant, without changing his position at the window or moving his hands, can release mechanism which will operate automatically to close the guard, or all the guards if more than one window is equipped with the same, and thus prevent the hold-up.

The means for closing the windows will also be effective for protecting the attendant at the window, as upon closing of the guard the view through the window will be shut oil, thus preventing effective aiming of a gun at attendant or others.

Other means are con'ibincd, as herein shown and described for the purpose of illus tinting the invention, with the window closing means for effecting the capture of the robber. Thus means are provided for closing and locking the bank entrance door sinuiltaneously with closing of the windows, also electrical connections whereby police headquarters will be automatically signaled at the same time, and other connections which will become charged with electrical current whereby to prevent the robber making a forced entrance over the counter or partition into the bank counting room. It will be obvious, however, from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed specification, that these further means to prevent robbery, or to effect capture of the robber are not essential to the main feature of the invention dows to thwart the robber and to protect the man back of the window.

In the accoi'npanying drawings 1 have shown my invention in a preferred form of construction to illustrate the essential features thereof and to support the various combinations of coacting instrumentalities for carrying the invention into effect set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the safeguarding device as applied to one window, showing the arrangement of the window closing means.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view at Hm door locking mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of upper guard op erating mechamsm;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the switch for closing the electrical circuit connected with the upper guard.

The structure shown in Fig. 1 consists of a partition 1, counter 2, window 3, window opening 4, bank lobby door 5, all above the bank floor 6, these features being of the ordinary construction and arrange ment, and here shown to illustrate the invention as applied thereto.

The window closino' means as here shown consists of a guard connected at its upper opposite corners to springs 8, the springs being connected at their opposite ends to the upper side of the frame of the window Downwardly extended bars 9,

are connected to the opposite lower corners of guard -7 and are provided at their lower ends with apertures 10 which are adapted to be engaged by means of lock bolts 11 which act to hold the guard in its normal lowered position as shown in Fig. 1, springs -53 acting to raise the guard to the position indicated by dotted line a, thus to close the lower portion, of the window, when bolts '-11 are disengaged from bars 9, the guard being retained laterallyin its normal plane of operation by guides -12 arranged along its opposite side edges.

The lock bolt-s '-l1 are each secured to an arm of a bell cranklever 13 and Work through sleeve bearings -14 which act to align the bolts with the eyelets -10, the rocker arms being fastened on a shaft 15 supported in bearings 16 in depending the window.

brackets -17 secured to the under structure of the floor -6. Connected to the opposite arms of each of the bell-crank levers -13 is a foot bar -l8 which extends upwardly through the floor and is adapted to be actuated by the attendant to release guard -T in any emergency when it is desired to close A foot bar -18 is located conveniently adjacent the position of the attendant at each window equipped with a guard, thus without stepping from his place any attendant can operate one of the foot bars and thus release the guard which will then shoot upwardly under action of springs -8 and close the windows.

As shown to the left in Fig. 1, shaft -15 is provided with a pitman connection -19, including a lock bolt -20 which extends upwardly through a sleeve bearing -21 and floor -6 into engagement, when guards -7 are operated, with the bottom edge of door -5 when the door is in its normally closed position, thus locking the door and acting to prevent escape of the robber through the door.

As is best shown in Fig. 2, a shaft -22 is rotatably supported in brackets -23 between shaft -15 and the partition -1, the shaft having a ratchet -24, of any suitable construction, connected to its end, at the right as shown in Fig. 1. Also connected to shaft -22 are chains -25, here shown as two chains for each guard -7, which are adapted to have their free ends drawn upwardly and connected to the lower edge of the guard in any suitable manner when the guard is in position to close the window. Thus by operating shaft -22 as a Windlass by means of ratchet -24, the guard will be drawn down against the action of springs 8 until the apertures -10 in the ends of extension bars -9 are brought to position to be engaged by lock bolts -11 thereby to set the guard mechanism for further operation.

, Spring actuated plungers -26, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are secured on the under side of counter -2 with the ends of the plunger bolts resting against the guard, when the same is in its normal lowered position, and adapted to be projected by the spring action to engage the lower edge of the guard when the same is in its raised position over the window, thus to prevent forcing the guard downwardly in any attempt that might be made to open the window from the lobby of the bank.

As shown in Fig. 1, a plate -27 lies inwardly adjacent the window opening -4 over part of counter -2, thus acting to close the slot adjacentthe window through which guard -T operates. IVhen the guard is moved to raised position, plate -27 is also raised by the action thereon by the guard to the position indicated by dotted outline -Z).

Any suitable means, as universal joints and gear connections, can obviously be employed to adapt the guard operating mechanism for angular connections, thus to equip windows not directly in line one with another.

Arranged along the upper rail of the window frame, as here shown, is a pivotally supported guard -28, which, when guard is down, is inclined inwardly and concealed from view from the lobby of the bank, and is moved to raised position by the upward movement of guard -7, by any suitable connections between guard 7 and guard -28, as the upwardly extended rod -29 secured to guard -7 and arm -80 se cured to guard -28 which is in the path of rod -29 and adapted to be engaged by the rod to raise guard -28 as guard -7 is raised to closed position. As here shown, the guard -28 is also adapted to be arranged in an electrical circuit controlled by a switch -31 which is closed by contact with guard -7 in its upward movement, thus causing guard -28 to become charged with current whereby to be more effective to baffle the robber if an attempt should be made to enter the counting room over the window partition. Obviously, a line can be extended from the same circuit to a point outside the bank, as police headquarters, whereby to summons help in event of an attempted hold-up of the bank, upon operation of the safeguarding device.

From the foregoing detailed description the construction and operation of my improved safeguard for banks will be readily understood. It is obvious that the mechanism here shown is capable of radical modifications without departing from the underlying principle of the invention which I desire to claim without reference to the minor details of construction.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A safeguard for banks including in combination with a partition having a window, an opening in the window, a counter inwardly adjacent the window, and a guard for said opening supported upon said counter, a separate guard for the window normally held under spring tension below the window and adapted upon releasing of the same to be moved upwardly to close the window and to actuate said other guard tr close said opening.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

JOHN S. PLUMMER. 

